Centro Cultural Brasil-Guyana will host Festa Junina on June 24 from 4.30 pm at the Brazilian Embassy on Church Street. It will be open to the public and admission is free.
Director of Centro Cultural Brasil-Guyana Terezinha Marques said she and her staff are thrilled to be hosting the June festival again after two years of it being cancelled as a result of the pandemic. This is the 24th such festival to be held here and the public can once again look forward to experiencing Brazilian culture through dance, food and refreshments.
“It’s amazing for us. It’s a time where we can get everyone together in the Brazilian/Guyanese community. The Guyanese people are excited and are calling about it,” the director enthused.
The last time it was held, in 2019, there were more than 2,000 attendees.
Festa Junina or the June Festival is said to date back more than 2,000 years to ancient Greek times when pagan gods were worshipped in commemoration of the great fertility of the earth. Over time, the festival became associated with Catholicism which was brought by Portuguese Catholic families to Brazil during the colonial era. The festival was adopted by the country and became a popular expressive folk festival over the years.
It is celebrated differently in the various Brazilian states and varies the most between the northern and southern states as the southern part of the country can be really cold, being the farthest away from the equator.
Festa Junina this year will see representation from at least six Brazilian states.
Every year at Festa Junina, patrons are treated to the Quadrilha, a Brazilian square dance, and with June being the time for corn harvesting, many of the desserts are made from corn. Along with appetisers, Brazilian barbecue and desserts, many refreshments will be on sale, with the Brazilian cocktail Caipirinha being the drink most raved about.
There will also be numerous games catering for children.
People joining the festivities can wear bright coloured clothing or costumes.
Though the event is free, patrons will be given a number at the gate which gives them the opportunity to win prizes in a draw. The first prize is said to be a bicycle while among the consolation prizes are Brazilian cosmetics.
Among the sponsors who are making the event possible are Western Union, Digicel, Brasimex, Nice Steak House, Prefab, Johil and Ishmael Jóias/Ouro Mil.
Information on Festa Junina can be found on the Facebook page Centro-Cultural Brasil-Guyana.
